Baume & Mercier is starting 2024 off strong with its new February release of the Riviera 10761 Tideograph, which adds a unique nautical complication to its Riviera series. The Tideograph joins the lineage of the larger Riviera collection, which celebrated its 50th anniversary last year. The original reference’s 12-sided case and its use of stainless steel (instead of the precious metals common in dress watches at the time) quickly secured this series as Baume & Mercier’s flagship model for the following 25 years. Though each new iteration has taken on a variety of design cues, they each embody the spirit of their namesake: quiet luxury on the French Riviera.
This stainless steel watch is 43mm in diameter with a height of 12.3mm, so it will likely have some significant wrist presence on the average wearer. The dodecagonal case and its four screws give the Tideograph a utilitarian vibe, while the sunray blue dial makes the whole thing appear ruggedly refined. Anti-reflective coating is applied to both sides of the sapphire crystal, which would likely make this hyper-legible outside in the sun, or on the water. The Tideograph comes on an integrated dial-matching blue rubber strap with a triple-folding buckle and easy adjustment feature. The strap has a canvas patterning, which complements the brushed bezel and lugs, while also giving the entire watch some visual intricacy.
The dial features Roman numerals at the 12 o’clock position and rhodium-plated riveted indices at 3 o’clock and 9 o’clock. These indices, along with the open-worked hour and minute hands, are coated with blue-hued Super-LumiNova. The seconds hand is counterbalanced by the Baume & Mercier logo — a Greek Phi symbol. This too, is coated with Super-LumiNova, keeping in line with an all-blue motif. Diverging from the other options in this line, a date window is noticeably absent from the Tideograph, perhaps playing into the idea that, in the Riviera, the days of the week aren’t the priority — time is measured by the tides.
The primary tide complication is displayed prominently at the 6 o’clock position and has both sandblasted and snailed features. This complication is set with a 4 o’clock pusher and is segmented into four quadrants marked by two 12-hour shifts. It’s a strong mix of blue tones — two color-matched to the dial featuring teal accents, and the other two snailed segments a dark navy with white arrows.
The Riviera Tideograph is powered by the automatic Baumatic BM14-1975AC3, which appears to be a modified version of the moonphase -AC2. Baume & Mercier indicate that the movement is a manufacture caliber, and true to their word, the Baumatic BM14 movements are produced by ValFleurier, which is also owned by Richemont. The movement boasts an impressive five-day (120-hour) power reserve and one 100m of water resistance. I think there has to be an emphasis placed here on this impressive feat of engineering. A five-day power reserve is not typical at any price point, but to have a nautical complication, a 120-hour power reserve, and a depth rating of 100m is pretty remarkable. It seems that Baume & Mercier truly wants this watch to be used as a tool.
Overall, the Tideograph’s design looks as if it belongs in the ocean, and it is equipped to do just that. It’s stylish and substantive, and its size and shape will likely stand out on the average wrist. Fortunately, this watch seems able to handle the attention. This is a limited-edition release capped at 500 pieces and buyers will have their unit number engraved on the case back, with text reading “Special Edition X out of 500.” The Baume & Mercier Riviera Tideograph is currently priced at $5,140 USD. For more information, please visit the brand’s website.
